Devices or conveyors for the transporting of transported products in the form of packing units, containers, and/or packages are known in the beverage industry to transport containers from one treatment station to a treatment station downstream in the transport direction of the containers.
Also known are conveyors with multiple conveyor or transport elements or belts, i.e. transport elements connected to one another perpendicular to a transport direction and forming a common transport surface, wherein these transporters have different functions, for example, for turning a single-track container stream into a multi-track container stream or to render a container stream more compact or to thin it out.
Also known is for such transporters with multiple conveyor or transport elements to be used for the rotating of containers, packing units, or packages, such as cartons.
With known conveyors, with which the transport elements or transport bands are arranged adjacent to one another perpendicular to a transport direction, form a common, for example, horizontal, transport surface and are therefore suitable for the transporting of containers, it is usual for a plurality of transport elements to be driven by a common drive unit with a single drive motor about a common shaft such that the same transport speed is attained for these transport elements. If several different transport speeds are required for transport elements connecting to one another in the transport direction, it is necessary for a plurality of drive units to be provided for, wherein each drive unit in turn comprises a single drive motor, which drives a plurality of transport elements by way of at least one drive shaft. Due to the drive shafts and their mountings, known transporters are elaborate and expensive and require increased maintenance effort, for example for the lubrication of the bearings for the drive shafts, etc.